MIT Prof. Provides Solution to the Poof

Being a curly-haired girl posing as a straight-haired girl is a lot of work and money.  I special order my shampoo and conditioner (Warren-Tricomi Fortifying series) because I can’t find it locally.  I spend one hour twice or three times per week blowing my locks straight (not including 30 minute towel-dry time).  I use the T3 Featherweight blow dryer and T3 round brush; when it’s all said and done, I am happy.  But depending on the air I can remain a bit frizzy.

Apparently Dr. Robert Langer, a tenured and highly regarded professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has developed a product to solve the frizz epidemic for the curly and the straight-haired alike.

Living Proof is the brainchild-brand from Dr. Langer and a couple of venture capitalists suits (Jon Flint and Amir Nashat) from Polaris Venture Partners.

Researching about 1,000 anti-frizz products, Dr. Langer and his team discovered that most used too much silicone.  Water molecules can actually seep through spaces where silicone does not completely cover the hair shaft–creating the dreaded frizzy poof effect.  Dr. Langer was determined to find an alternative that would be safe and effective to use on course hair.

The answer: PolyfluoroEster.  This ingredient has never been used in beauty products before, but has been used to coat contact lens.  The molecule works by filling in the gaps on the strand’s cuticle.  Moisture is now blocked from penetrating the hair shaft.

The hero product: the aptly-named “No Frizz” has a series of items for straight or curly hair types.  Depending on your hair’s texture and shape you choose a spray, cream, or treatment formulation.  Both Living Proof’s and Sephora’s Web site have great blueprints to determine your tailored category.

In Allure‘s October 2008 issue, they rated No Frizz by Living Proof as a “Breakthrough” product.  From what I’ve read, the reviews are mixed.  People either love it or hate it.  One common remark is that you have to be extremely heavy-handed with it, and completely saturate the hair for it to work.  So I guess, in this case, more is better.  One blogger even said it worked alright, but smelled of alcohol.

For $24 I’m willing to try it, but the ingredients are not that impressive: Water, PolyfluoroEster, Myristyl Alcohol, Polyacrylate-13, PEG-8 Stearate, PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate, Polyisobutene, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Fragrance, Polysorbate 20, Sorbic Acid.  This list is basically alcohols, preservatives, and synthetic polymers.

And although No Frizz’s results are said to be instant, beautiful, and shiny, I wonder what this PolyfluoroEster molecule does to the hair with frequent use.  Will the hair start to dry out because moisture is neglected from the cuticle?  If the alcohol content is so strong you smell it–I’m a firm believer that there is too much of it; so how dehydrating is it and how safe is it on color-treated hair?  The Living Proof Web site says, “No Frizz works great on color-treated hair, too.”

I’d love feedback from anyone in the beauty-peanut gallery.

SEE UPDATE ON APRIL 22, 2009 POST: “NO FRIZZ, NO JOKE.”

The “Liquid Gold” in Moroccanoil

I’d like to introduce you to Moroccanoil (yes, one word) which is a brand and not actually a type of oil.

The line consists of four products used to style and treat all types of hair, but mainly dehydrated and lack-luster locks.

Moroccanoil’s signature ingredient is actually argan oil–not to be confused with another line called Argan Oils.

The buzz with Moroccanoil is that it is weightless and silky in texture compared to traditional shine enhancers loaded with silicones or petrochemicals.  The results equal shine without the residue.  What’s even better, are the outstanding benefits of argan oil for skin and hair.

Way before Jimi Hendrix frequented the town of Essaouira, Morocco in the 1960′s and cultivated a hippie hot spot, Essaouira was home to the Argania spinosa tree (or Argan tree).  These trees produce a fruit a little bigger and rounder than an olive.  Inside the fruit is a large nut that contains up to three almond-shaped kernels.  From these kernels (or the fruit’s polyphenols) are where the oil is derived.

In addition to the anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, and anti-aging properties of the polyphenols, the skin obtains various other benefits from the fruit.  Essential fatty acids are present to manufacture and repair skin cells.  Vitamin E (tocopherol) protects the essential fatty acids, and ferulic acid uses its antioxidant power to fight off UV damage.

I’d say the idea and history behind the discovery of the argan fruit is similar to the Ojon brand, and it’s connection to the Ojon palm trees in Honduras.  At least the process to distill the oil is comparable to the ojon nut: the shell of the nut is cracked with a sharp stone, kernels are grounded into a thick paste, the paste is kneaded by hand, and then formed into a solid.

Depending on how one wants to use the benefits of the argan, that solid compound can then be manipulated to create soap, shampoo, cream, or oil–such as the case in Moroccanoil’s product line.  It’s no wonder argan oil is nicknamed, “liquid gold”–it’s magical.

Moroccanoil is sold exclusively in salons across the U.S., Canada, and South America.  The price points range between $25 – $35, and the line includes the oil, a  Hydrating Cream, a Masque, and an Intense Curl Cream.

I would also check out the Argan Oils brand as well.  As a reader most recently pointed out to me, Moroccanoil is not a completely natural formula nor does it contain over 50% argan oil to provide full efficacy.  Check labels, and go for a product with the least amount of silicones and the most argan oil.